Gaston: State Tuskegee aid move is wrong

Cites influence—>. .
Gaston: state
Tuskegee aid
move is wrong
BY JAMES CHISUM
News staff writer
Dr. A. G. Gaston of Birmingham, a member of the
board of Trustees of Tuskegee
Institute, says Alabama will
be making a mistake if it
foreswears responsibility for
the famed Negro institution.
Gov. Lurleen B. Wallace, in
a budget submitted to the
state legislature last Tuesday,
made no recommendations for
an appropriation to Tuskegee.
Currently the state appropriation for the institute is $670,-
000.
Since 1945, the legislature
has allocated funds to allow
Negroes — who could not get
into the state's segregated
colleges and universities — to
study some professions.
TO GIVE IT a voice in
spending the money, the state
has six members on the
^ s\Hj±\
cut
t be able to compete
recent college gradu-
experienced teachers
ve to other states.
boys and girls will
ers."
TATEMENT also
ic school needs
'tiled "before con-
given to appro-
private schools."
• has called for
tppropriation to
itute but wants
to three other
<ons.
group nls<>
of operating
ictlon. They
irovided for
uould come
ssue.
suggested
tnnot be
nt reve-
declar-
"It is
. that
t and
eces-
11 be
vith
s."
le-
institute's board of trustees,
including the state superintendent of education. Former
Gov. George C. Wallace is a
former trustee, and Dr. Gaston was appointed by the
former governor.
Dr. Gaston said he has long
considered the institute too
much influenced by outsiders
although he and other Alabama trustees have had a
strong hand in guiding it.
The withdrawal of state
influence, he said Friday,
would "throw too much control of the institution outside
the state, which wouldn't be
good for us."
Dr. Gaston said he and
other trustees, as well as
institute officials, had no forewarning of the governor's
recommendation.
"WE HAVEN'T had any
iMitallons ispTeasure
down there ... In fact, we
thought we were going to get
an increase," he said.
Meanwhile in Montgomery,
former Gov. George Wallace
said a cut-off of funds tn
Tuskegee was suggested by
State Supt. of Education Ernest Stone.
He said the state superintendent also recommended
that the money which would
have gone to Tuskegee be
given to the two Negro state
colleges, Alabama State College in Montgomery and Alabama A&M at Huntsville.
The governor's budget
provides $750,000 for A&M and
$590,000 for Alabama State,
with the money to be used for
construction.
MrtS. WALLACE'S budget
recommended continuing appropriations to three Other
private colleges, ail predominantly white.
The state currently allocates $75,000 a year to Marion
Institute, $42,000 to Lyman
Ward Military Academy at
Camp Hill and $44,000 to
Walker Junior College at Jasper.
State Sen. Tom Radney of
Alexander City, whose district
includes Tuskegee, said he
will try to get the appropriation reinstated.
President L. H. Foster of
Tuskegee Institute said the
"constructive relationship between the state and Tuskegee
is widely rtcogriized as a
■ approach to
iiffiv'ii problem i.f ring higher

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Cites influence—>. .
Gaston: state
Tuskegee aid
move is wrong
BY JAMES CHISUM
News staff writer
Dr. A. G. Gaston of Birmingham, a member of the
board of Trustees of Tuskegee
Institute, says Alabama will
be making a mistake if it
foreswears responsibility for
the famed Negro institution.
Gov. Lurleen B. Wallace, in
a budget submitted to the
state legislature last Tuesday,
made no recommendations for
an appropriation to Tuskegee.
Currently the state appropriation for the institute is $670,-
000.
Since 1945, the legislature
has allocated funds to allow
Negroes — who could not get
into the state's segregated
colleges and universities — to
study some professions.
TO GIVE IT a voice in
spending the money, the state
has six members on the
^ s\Hj±\
cut
t be able to compete
recent college gradu-
experienced teachers
ve to other states.
boys and girls will
ers."
TATEMENT also
ic school needs
'tiled "before con-
given to appro-
private schools."
• has called for
tppropriation to
itute but wants
to three other
of operating
ictlon. They
irovided for
uould come
ssue.
suggested
tnnot be
nt reve-
declar-
"It is
. that
t and
eces-
11 be
vith
s."
le-
institute's board of trustees,
including the state superintendent of education. Former
Gov. George C. Wallace is a
former trustee, and Dr. Gaston was appointed by the
former governor.
Dr. Gaston said he has long
considered the institute too
much influenced by outsiders
although he and other Alabama trustees have had a
strong hand in guiding it.
The withdrawal of state
influence, he said Friday,
would "throw too much control of the institution outside
the state, which wouldn't be
good for us."
Dr. Gaston said he and
other trustees, as well as
institute officials, had no forewarning of the governor's
recommendation.
"WE HAVEN'T had any
iMitallons ispTeasure
down there ... In fact, we
thought we were going to get
an increase," he said.
Meanwhile in Montgomery,
former Gov. George Wallace
said a cut-off of funds tn
Tuskegee was suggested by
State Supt. of Education Ernest Stone.
He said the state superintendent also recommended
that the money which would
have gone to Tuskegee be
given to the two Negro state
colleges, Alabama State College in Montgomery and Alabama A&M at Huntsville.
The governor's budget
provides $750,000 for A&M and
$590,000 for Alabama State,
with the money to be used for
construction.
MrtS. WALLACE'S budget
recommended continuing appropriations to three Other
private colleges, ail predominantly white.
The state currently allocates $75,000 a year to Marion
Institute, $42,000 to Lyman
Ward Military Academy at
Camp Hill and $44,000 to
Walker Junior College at Jasper.
State Sen. Tom Radney of
Alexander City, whose district
includes Tuskegee, said he
will try to get the appropriation reinstated.
President L. H. Foster of
Tuskegee Institute said the
"constructive relationship between the state and Tuskegee
is widely rtcogriized as a
■ approach to
iiffiv'ii problem i.f ring higher